@smitten: "I'm looking for a place that sells nice seamless backgrounds that I can use 
for a few macro photos I need to shoot.
I've been told I should use velvet as a background.
Is that the way to go?
I'm looking for black, red and white backgrounds for macro.
Thanks for your help
CC "
    @savageduck1REMOVESPAM: "<quote>
For make-shift backgrounds there are any number of fabrics you should 
be able to find easily around the house; towels, fleece blankets, 
various color T-shirts. I'm sure you would be able to find those in 
suitable colors.
Regards,
Savageduck"
    @jclarkeusenet: "<quote>
If you're looking for cheap, Walmart has some fleece blankets for about 5 
bucks in a variety of colors that work fine.  For macro though a package of 
poster board from Staples will give you a variety of colors in sizes large 
enough for macro."
    @ueidek: "<quote>
Thank you for your suggestions.
My problem with foam core boards, towels etc. is how it shows up under the 
item I'm shooting.
Not so much the background but actually where the item is sitting/standing 
on the material.
Meaning that if I lay something on a black foam core board it won't look 
pitch black under the item.
I suppose I'll just have to go through the image and do some burning in PS.
Thanks"
    @ueidek: "Just wanted to tell you that I'm on a different computer as I post this and 
the above reply.
After posting my original post I drove to my friend's house and checked this 
news group there.
Hope there is no confusion.
I'm still Cris "
    @paul: "<quote>
Then you need a soft box; foreground lighting that reduces shadows by 
spreading the light from all directions but the hole you poke the lens 
through.
Paul Furman
<url>
<url>
all google groups messages filtered due to spam"
    @iconmags3: "<quote>
That would only make the black look less black. A point source light is 
the best way to make black look more black, but generally lousy for 
macro. One solution is the 'octopus' fibre optic type macro light where 
several very small, very close sources can be flexible aimed at the 
subject without hitting its background.
For regular lighting, the answer is simple enough - do not place the 
subject on the background. If you do, just keeping any fabric dust free 
enough for macro work is a major task. You need to throw the background 
out of focus, and also be able to use a small f-stop so the subject is 
sharp. This means having the background a long way from the subject.
A glass table, suitably cleaned (easier to clean a small area of glass 
than a small area of fabric) and angled to avoid reflections is a good 
support for the subject. IKEA make several low-cost glass top tables 
which let the subject sit from 1ft to 18 inches above whatever 
background you place below them. Alternatively, buy a picture frame with 
glass (not the cheapest). This glass is much thinner. You just use the 
picture frame with the back removed as a glass window with a supporting 
edge you can clamp or rest on boxes etc to get the separation. An 8 x 10 
frame is probably big enough.
Velvet does work well for killing everything to solid black. I used to 
buy background fabrics from Indian haberdashers - they had a more 
interesting range of velvets, muslins, voiles, silks and a wider range 
of pure colours.
When I did commercial product shots regularly, we had a 1m square heavy 
duty glass sheet made with ground edges for safe handling, and a range 
of supports made from Dexion (including an opal perspex scoop light 
table - home-made at a quarter of the cost of Manfrotto/Foba etc). 
Normal technique was softbox light from an oblique angle and fairly 
close, with the shadow of the subject falling out of shot and the 
background visible behind it fully illuminated. Sometimes additional 
light was used on the background only.
David"
    @alanbrowne: "<quote>
If you intend to hang the cloth and then drape it as the surface for the 
subject, then yes, it is most pleasing.  I use a rough textured paper, also.
 > I'm looking for black, red and white backgrounds for macro.
Consider other velvet colors as well: grey, blue, green, yellow/gold, 
silver, etc.  This way you can complement the subject colors appropriately.
A softbox directly over the subject is great for shiny objects - and a 
snoot or honeycomb grid to spot and isolate the subject looks great too.
One nice effect is a white paper (or cloth) with a colored fill light 
and a white snoot light to isolate the subject.
 r.p.e.35mm user resource: <url>
        r.p.d.slr-systems: <url>
      [SI] gallery & rulz: <url>
                   e-meil: Remove FreeLunch.
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    @alanbrowne: "<quote>
Paper board tacked to the wall and then curled over a stool is more than 
enough for a simple macro.  Add velvet or other cloth for a more 
pleasing or luxurious treatment.
Lighting is much more important.
 r.p.e.35mm user resource: <url>
        r.p.d.slr-systems: <url>
      [SI] gallery & rulz: <url>
                   e-meil: Remove FreeLunch.
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    @smitten: "<quote>
Could you please tell me if I should be using the camera's flash system, I'm 
using Nikon, or if I should have a continuous light with soft boxes etc.
I don't do macros and am just starting to play with it.
It seems to me the advantage of having continuous light would be that I can 
see the way things look before I start shooting. Calling for less 
experiment.
Using the flash system and remote flashes seems to call for much more 
experiments.
Wrong?
Thanks
CC"
    @alanbrowne: "<quote>
Continuous light is fine except for the longer exposure required (or a 
very hot lighting environment) at a given aperture.  Esp. if you want to 
get a lot of DOF in your macros, you'll be at f/11 - f/16 or less. 
Longer exposures expose you to vibrations (other than, but including, 
mirror slap).  If the exposure is 1/4 s or longer, then mirror slap is 
probably not a problem but you have to make sure your subject and camera 
(tripod) are very still.
As you point out, using accessory flashes makes pre-visualization 
harder, but at least with digital that is not so costly.  These were 
taken with accessory lights:
<url>
<url> (crop from above)
It took several test shots to get the lighting balanced and positioned 
(2 Minolta flashes)
For product shots (incl. macro) I use studio lights which include 
modeling lights scaled to the flash output.  I get a very good preview 
of what's to come.  I now have three "Alienbees" and 2 softboxes.  The 
bees can be dialed down through 5 stops of power so I can get the 
softboxes in pretty close.  I have a cheap AC strobe as well which I can 
place for highlights or "spotting" but it does not have a modeling 
light.  Have to play more to get the lighting as desired/required.
 r.p.e.35mm user resource: <url>
        r.p.d.slr-systems: <url>
      [SI] gallery & rulz: <url>
                   e-meil: Remove FreeLunch.
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    @paul: "<quote>
I'm adverse to flash so a biased opinion but for this kind of thing, use 
a tripod and you don't need to add any light.
Paul Furman
<url>
<url>
all google groups messages filtered due to spam"
    @jclarkeusenet: "<quote>
You do whatever you need to do to get the shot you want.  The on-camera 
flash doesn't generally work out too well for macro work because its 
location is usually such that the lens casts a shadow on the subject."
    @ericstevens: "On Sat, 16 May 2009 13:10:53 -0400, Alan Browne
<quote>
I too use a matte finished paper, typically cartridge paper as used
for drawing and painting. I usually use bounce flash aimed backwards
over my shoulder so as to reflect off the ceiling and the wall behind
me.
Eric Stevens"
    @dmac: "<quote>
Have a look at ring type LED lights. The 64 LED versions are nearly up 
to the output of an entry level ring flash at much lower cost. eBay is 
full of them."
    @paul: "<quote>
Or a DIY fiber optic ring light using the on camera flash:
<url>
:-)
Paul Furman
<url>
<url>
all google groups messages filtered due to spam"
    @alanbrowne: "<quote>
LED's have a non continuous spectrum that will result in colour shifts. 
  Minor to be sure, but not to be used for colour accurate photography.
Wow!  Not sure about how cheap that is, nor how much light gets 
through... but his attitude is great:
"" Why I build stuff myself
Because I can. Because it's fun. Because it's fuzz. Because I'm a 
cheap-ass. Because I have the unstoppable urge to create. Because it's 
exciting to start with nothing and end up with something useful. Because 
I like nothing more than educating myself. Because it keeps me busy. 
Because it has helped me to get a job twice. Because I like a mind 
challenge once in a while. Because I like to make noise and dust with 
power tools. Because burning and melting stuff is awesome. Because I 
inherited it from my father. "" .. <url>
 r.p.e.35mm user resource: <url>
        r.p.d.slr-systems: <url>
      [SI] gallery & rulz: <url>
                   e-meil: Remove FreeLunch.
 usenet posts from gmail.com and googlemail.com are filtered out."
    @bobbylarter: "<quote>
A quick run over the fabric with a handheld vaccum cleaner should fix that.
    W
  . | ,. w ,   "Some people are alive only because
   \|/  \|/     it is illegal to kill them."    Perna condita delenda est
-^^-"
    @bobbylarter: "<quote>
True, but not as bad as fluorescent tubes, for example.
    W
  . | ,. w ,   "Some people are alive only because
   \|/  \|/     it is illegal to kill them."    Perna condita delenda est
-^^-"
    @christophercampbellremovethis: "<quote>
I just use paper. Or the Westcott 40" 5 in 1 reflector kit. Or my 
wife's dress (she wears black when we are working). Or a camera 
bag/handkerchief/pillow case/blanket. Whatever is handy. I even have 
some velvet. The trick is to get it out of focus and avoid reflections 
on it. And, as others have said, watch for dust. I hate dust. I must 
have more than a thousand macros ruined by dust on the subject and/or 
the background. I am a slow learner that way.
Waddling Eagle
World Famous Flight Instructor"
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